Snubber brake assembly

Abstract

A snubber brake assembly is disclosed for use with suspended, swingable bodies such as logging machine grapples. The assembly includes a pair of pivot pins extending normal to one another and each supporting brake elements which can be adjusted and the brake members of which can be replaced and adjusted without removing the pivot pins or the grapple from the mechanism suspending the grapple. The assembly includes a saddle plate that straddles the pivot pin and which can be removed from the pin without disassembling the whole unit. The removal of the saddle plate provides for shifting of the other components on the pivot pin to remove and replace brake members therein.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A snubber brake assembly for use with suspended, swingable bodies such as a logging machine grapple, said assembly including: at least one pair of spaced, parallel lugs;   a pivot shaft extending through said lugs;   a brake subassembly having its components coaxially located on said pivot shaft between said lugs, said subassembly including inner and outer brake housings having matching, frusto-conical tapered surfaces directed towards one another, and brake shoes located intermediate said inner and outer housings; and   means on said pivot shaft for applying an adjustable compressing force to said housings and said brake shoes therebetween, including a saddle plate straddling and removably mounted on said pivot shaft and adjustment means associated with said saddle plate for applying said compressing force on said housings and brake shoes to inhibit pivotal movement of components supported by said lugs;   said saddle plate and said brake shoes being so formed as to be removable from said pivot shaft without dismantling the complete brake subassembly and whereby the removal of said saddle plate provides for movement of selected components of the subassembly on the pivot shaft to remove, repair or replace said brake shoes.   
     
     
       2. A snubber brake assembly for use with suspended, swingable bodies such as a logging machine grapple, said assembly comprising: a link having two pairs of spaced, parallel lugs, one of said pairs constituting an upper pair and being directed away, and oriented 90° from the other, lower pair thereof;   a pivot shaft extending through each pair of lugs, said shafts being oriented normal to one another;   each pivot shaft supporting a brake subassembly with an operative axis of each subassembly being normal to the other subassembly;   each subassembly having its components coaxially located on one of said pivot shafts between said lugs, each said brake subassembly comprising inner and outer brake housing having matching, frusto-conical tapered surfaces directed towards one another and brake shoes located intermediate said inner and outer housings; and   means on each said pivot shaft for applying adjustable, compressing force to said housings and said brake shoes therebetween, including a saddle plate straddling and removably mounted on said pivot shaft and adjustment means associated with said saddle plate for applying said compressing force on said housings and brake shoes therebetween to inhibit pivotal movement of components supported by said lugs of said link;   said saddle plate and said brake shoes being so formed as to be removable from said pivot shaft without dismantling the complete brake subassembly and whereby the removal of said saddle plate provides for movement of selected components of the subassembly on the pivot shaft to remove, repair or replace the brake shoes.   
     
     
       3. A snubber brake assembly according to claim 1 wherein said outer brake housing of said brake subassembly located on the upper lugs is removably connected to an arch of an associated vehicle to prevent movement of said outer brake housing relative thereto. 
     
     
       4. A snubber brake assembly according to claim 2 wherein said outer brake housing of said brake subassembly located on the upper lugs is removably connected to an arch of an associated vehicle to prevent movement of said outer brake housing relative thereto. 
     
     
       5. A snubber brake assembly according to claim 2 wherein said outer brake housing of said brake subassembly located between the lower lugs includes means associated with said grapple to prevent swinging movement of said outer brake housing relative thereto. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said brake shoes are located between said inner and outer brake housings in a floating arrangement. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said brake shoes are located on said inner brake housing by means of a plurality of circumferentially spaced pin means parallel with said pivot shaft and located intermediate said brake shoes and said inner brake housing. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said inner brake housing has a keyway machined therein with a pair of key stocks held in said keyway by retaining means, said key stocks restricting turning of said brake shoes on said inner housing. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said brake subassembly includes spring washer means intermediate the saddle plate and said outer brake housing so as to resiliently apply axial pressure on said outer brake housing, thereby applying said compressing force between said housings, the means for axially moving said saddle plate comprising a plurality of adjusting bolts parallel to said pivot shaft and having one of their ends threadably secured in said saddle plate and the other of their ends removably located in the adjacent lug member and adjusting nut means on each of said bolts for moving said saddle plate towards or away from said spring washer means.